Like the Orion Nebula,
the Trifid Nebula is a
"stellar nursery" -- a
region of active star
formation. It is located
in Sagittarius, which
never gets too high in
the sky for most US
residents -- in my area it
is entirely drowned out
by local light pollution,
and I have never seen it
through the eyepiece.
OGS 10" RC @ f/5.7
SBIG ST10XME
CFW8
RGB:
 R= 3 min x 5, 1x1
 G= 3 min x 6, 1x1
 B= 3 min x 10, 1x1

Processed with CCDsoft
and Adobe PS
            M20 -  the Trifid Nebula
         Click on image to enlarge